A dramatic view of Hurricane Florence as seen from the International Space Station. A tropical cyclone is a generic term for a rapidly rotating tropical storm with a low-pressure center and clouds spiraling toward the center of the system

© NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Flickr Sailing into the eye of the storm
These fast-moving and often deadly storms aren't only a persistent threat to human safety, they also present a significant economic impact—hurricane damage in the US is estimated at around $54 billion annually.